The Air Force wants to change the security footprint at Travis AFB, Calif., and to do so it has served legal papers invoking eminent domain to take 13 acres from Bill Maher. It plans to pay the 80-year-old rancher $261,000 for this piece of his 300 acres of pasture along a road near the base’s south gate. The Contra Costa Times reports that Maher has been receiving such legal notices from the Air Force for years, usually with differing acreage. He claims he has tried to negotiate with the Air Force, but the US attorney now handling the matter says, “The court is now involved. At any time, if he wanted to resolve it, we can.” Maher believes the land is worth $800,000.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
